Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria: Nearly 20,000 dead

Many people in Türkiye and Syria spent a third night outside or in their cars in the bitter winter weather. Their homes were destroyed or damaged by the earthquake, leaving them too afraid to return.

The death toll from the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria has risen to nearly 20,000. Photo: Reuters

Authorities say about 6,500 buildings have collapsed in Türkiye and countless others have been damaged in the quake zone, home to about 13 million people. Rescuers are racing against time to rescue survivors in harsh winter conditions.

The situation is particularly worrying in Syria, a country that has been struggling with a humanitarian crisis for years due to conflict and a cholera outbreak. On February 9, the third day after the earthquake, the first aid convoy was able to reach the opposition-controlled northwest region of Syria.

The United Nations on February 9 stressed the need to avoid "politicizing" aid to earthquake victims in Syria, while urging the United States and the European Union to ensure aid work is "without any obstacles".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed: "The center of solidarity must be with the people who are suffering. The earthquake comes as the humanitarian crisis in north-west Syria has worsened, with needs for humanitarian assistance at their highest level since the conflict began. And the UN has been working hard to respond.

We are deploying experts to the region to assess the disaster, coordinate search and rescue operations, and deliver food, medical supplies, blankets and other lifesaving items. And we are committed to doing more."

The United Nations said it has released 25 million USD from the Emergency Fund and is expected to launch an appeal for emergency aid for Syria early next week. Meanwhile, the European Union plans to hold an international donor conference to support Türkiye and Syria in overcoming the consequences of the earthquake./.